The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-05-12
FISHING FOR SHRfNIpS.
Work of the Chinese Fishermen Along the
Pacific Coast.

The sight of the awkward Chinese
junk has become SO common in the bay
rs to hardly attract the attention of those
who are in the habit of using the ferry
boats constantly, saws the San Francisco
Post. Occasionally some jocular, con-
temptuous remark is made on the build
or rig OF one of the crafts. coupled with
plying allusion 10 the povertv-stricken
looking crew. The owners of the crafts
can afford to let the laugh go round.
and none of them are at all desirous of
correcting the mistaken impression as
to their poverty and the small amount
realized by their trade. 1t will astonisb
many of those who have ridiculed the
clumsy, high-sterned boxes. with their
Slated squaresails, to learn that the
freight carried by these boats amounts
IN value to about $4,000, 900 year. All
of them are engaged in the fishing trade
on the bay and the lagoens or tidal
creeks which run up into the low marshy
lands lying along the shores. They are
here to make as much money in as short
time as possible, and then go back to
China. From Vallejo to the extreme
southern end of the bay they arc busy
all the year round, dragging the waters
OF the bay with nets having meshes SO
small that nothing that swims can es-
cape them; salmon fry, minnows, young
herring, shrimps, and large fish, are all |
ecooped in. The larger fish are sold at
10 to Is cents per pound in Chinatown,
while the smaller ones, together with |
the shrimps, are sent abroad. When a
haul is made the wriggling mass is sort
ed out on the beach, the larger fish be-
ing at once sent to market. The small
fish are again sorted, the larger ones be-
ing dried and packed separately. The
shrimps, after being dried, are shaken
up in sieves or riddles The shells and
small portions of the shrimps fall
through the sieves and are carefully
gathered up in sacks. The meaty parts
are carefully packed and also sent abroad
as table dclicacy; the shells and re-
fuse, together with the refuse fish. are
ell packed together and sent away TO be
used as food for fowls or for manure.
Every steamer leaving this port takes
away in the neighborhood of 400 tons of
dried shrimps and fish in the proper
lions OF $50 tons of siriups. 200 ions of
salmon, etc. and fifty tons of
shrimp shells and fish manure. The
shrimps are the most valuable, bringing
in China an average Of $500 per ton.
The sardines and salmon are worth
300 per ton, and the refuse 81 D per ton.
II q total of S87, 600 for the 400 tons of
product. For years the shipments aver
igea three month. or thirty-six ship
nents q year, being an export of 3, 1872
100 worth of stuils gathered by the Chi
,ese junks, and ihcir lazy, shifiiass- |
ooking crews. Beyond the slight
amount necessary 10 hIy The lUmtcr for
heir boats and little cordace and l
10th for sails ard rigging, hardly ,
loilar OF this large sIi!n is spent in tiis
Even The nets and the tYIne
# which they are made are brought
rom abroad. y gentleman who was
for years in searching Chinese
.eaucrs states that lie has often seen {
cinnamon land at the mail dock with r
!cthing III The world III The shape of
apital except one of these nets. In I
bout month the same Chinamap |
rould appear as shipper OF from three
D ten tons of fish. He had in the mean- y
imc associated himself with four or five u
Tiers; they had secured a secondhand
oat and gone TO work dragging the
ay. In few months he was not only
shipper but an importer, receiving +
urge lots of rice, sugar, dried fowls, and &
Lher articles of Chinese food, rs well as
othing. L